Skirt-supporter.



0. J. SHIPPEN. SKIRT SUPPORTER. APPi-IOATION FILED MAB. 29,1910.

7 987,091. I Patented Mar. 14, 1911.

4- BY r did ATTORNEYS.

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CLARA. J. SHIPPEN, 0F BUFFALO, WYOMING.

SKIRT-SUPPORTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, 1911.

Original application filed October 11, 1909, Serial No. 521,992. Dividedand this application filed. March 29, 1910. Serial No. 552,207.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARA J. SHIPPEN, residing at Bufialo, in the countyof Johnson and State of Wyoming, have invented a new and ImprovedSkirt-Supporter, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention, which is a divisional part of the inventiondisclosed .in my co-pending application No. 521,992 filed Oct. 11, 1909,has for its object to provide a simple and inexpensive device for beingattached to skirts, dresses or other garments, adapted for being quicklymanipulated to lift and hold the bottom end of the skirt or otherhanging garment from dragging and becoming soiled, it being moreespecially designed for use in womens skirts to relieve the user fromholding up the skirt by hand.

My present invention comprises a device for the purposes stated thatembodies the peculiar construction and detailed arrangement of the partshereinafter fully described, specifically pointed out in the appendedclaims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1,is a view that illustrates one of the ways in which my invention isapplied for use. Fig. 2, is a perspective view of the same. Fig. 3, is asimilar view that illustrates how the clamping member is moved torelease the garment. Fig. 4, is a longitudinal section of the device.Fig. 5, is a sectional view, showing another means of suspending thedevice.

In its practical form, my invention consists of a flat plate thatconstitutes a body 1 and .it is stamped out of thin spring sheet metaland for lightness the lower end is cut out to provide, as it were, twopendent clamping members 1212 transversely corrugated to presentpositive gripping surfaces for cooperating with a transversely extendedclamping member 2 that is also corrugated and is of a length suflicientto straddle the members 1212.

The member 2 is fixedly connected to the ends of a U-shaped bail piece3, the cross member 30 of which forms a pivot rod, j ournaled in looplike bearings 17-17 stamped out of the body 1, as clearly shown in thedrawings. The plate 2 is normally held, spring pressed, against theclamping ends 12-12 of the body 1 by a flat spring tang 40 also stampedout of the body 1 with its lower end held in engagement with or madefast to the cross plate 2.

The pivot rod or member 30 of the bail 3 is bent to a crank shape, as at31 to bridge over the tang 40 and to the said portion is secured afinger piece 46, which, when pressed back by the finger as shown in Fig.3, rocks the U-shaped bail and pulls the cross plate 2 from the bodyclamp 12-12 to release the skirt or other garment that may be heldbetween the opposing clamping portions.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the drawing, the manner inwhich my device is applied and used and its advantages will be readilyapparent, it being clear that by a slight pressure on the finger piece'46, the jaws will open to allow for slipping a fold of theskirttherebetween, the spring pressure on the member 2 serving to firmlyhold the clamping members together, it being obvious that when it isdesired to drop the skirt, the user simply presses on the member 46, asshown in Fig. 3.

For conveniently securing the device to the belt or waist band, it hasan extension 10 at the upper end bent back on itself to form a hook 11for slipping over the edge of the waist band or belt.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. As a new article, a skirt supporter including a resilient metal bodyhaving a bifurcated end to form side arms, said side arms havingtransverse gripping surfaces at the lower ends, said body having anintegrally formed hanger hook at its upper end, said body havingintegrally formed loop members stamped from the body, a wire bail piecemounted in said loop members and having portions projected parallel withone another to form arms, a clamping plate secured to the ends of saidarms to cooperate with said gripping surfaces, said bail piece having anoutwardly bent portion held between said loop membersand a spring tangintegrally formed with said resilient metal body to engage said clampingmember and brace .it against said gripping surfaces.

2. As a new article, a skirt supporter composed of a spring metal bodyhaving a bifurcated end to form side arms, said arms having transversegripping surfaces at the lower ends, the upper end of the body having ahanger hook and loop'members, a U-shaped rocking it to move the clampingmember f I bail piece mounted in thevloop members, a from the body.

clamping member secured to the bail piece,

' that cooperates With "the gripping ends of Witnesses:

CLARA J. SHIPPEN.

5 the body, a spring tang that projects from F. R. HENRY, the body andpresses on the clamping mem- J. J. CASH,

' her and a finger piece on the boil piece for V Amman GRIeGs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C.

